Omicron Will Cause More Infections But Lower Hospital Rates, Analysis Shows

December 22, 2021

(NPR) – A new analysis by the University of Washington shows the omicron surge will peak in a massive wave of infections by the end of January but is likely to produce far fewer severe illnesses for most people. The analysis projects the omicron wave will infect more than 400,000 people a day in the U.S. when it crests in about six weeks. That’s far more than the 250,000 people who caught the virus every day at the peak of last winter’s surge. But the researchers estimate that most of those who catch omicron won’t get sick or will only get mildly ill. As a result, the rate of people getting hospitalized and dying from omicron will be much lower, the analysis concludes. (Read More)